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Friday, 30 November 2012

The Chancellor will publish details of his spending plans in the Autumn Statement next week.They are expected to include information from the Office of Budget Responsibility showing that the Government’s programme of austerity and cuts to public services is failing to get our economy back on track. The promised creation of new private sector jobs has simply not materialised and more and more households are struggling to cope with rising bills, unemployment or job insecurity, and attacks on essential support mechanisms. What’s more, the Government’s economic policies have resulted in many public services workers having their pay frozen, their pensions cut and their terms and conditions placed under review. None of this makes sense if we want to keep money circulating in the local economy. So I'm pleased to support today’s protests by members of the Public and Commercial Services Union, designed to highlight the harmful impact of the Government’s policies on individuals and on the city.

Wednesday, 28 November 2012

THE GREEN PARTY TRADE UNION GROUP meeting this evening voted unanimously to call for votes for Sasha Khan, Green party candidate in Croydon North. All Croydon North voters should vote for the GREEN KNIGHT, Sasha Khan.

Syriza UK invites you to join an event on the Greek crisis and the current situation.*Title: Shock Therapy and Popular Uprising: Greece at the Crossroads.*Date: 7 December 2012Location: ULU, Malet Suite 7,Malet St, London WC1E 7HYTime:19.00 – 21.00

Speakers:

Costas Douzinas, Birkbeck College, London

Stathis Kouvelakis, King’s College, London

Seumas Milne, The Guardian

Marina Prentoulis, University of East Anglia

A contribution of £5 towards the cost of the room is recommended.

This event is organised by the London branch of Syriza which lacks its own financial means to cover the cost of hiring the hall.

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

Principal of Ruskin College, Audrey Mullender, ordered the shredding of thousands of historic student records from 1899 to recent years, an act which has been nationally condemned by students, staff, historians, archivists and journalists. No records have been scanned and only barest details digitised. Information on students' backgrounds, progress and achievements has now gone. Only some from the 1950s remain.

She has insisted, after the event, that these actions were legally justified despite repeated advice to the contrary from experienced archivists and internationally prestigious historians.

On Thursday Nicholas Kingsley, Head of Archives Sector Development & Secretary of the Historical Manuscripts Commission at the National Archive, confirmed ‘it would have been acceptable to retain these records indefinitely for historical purposes’.

In October we listed the records that have been destroyed. They included thousands of files on individual students as well as those of the Ruskin Student Union. Student dissertations, often based on the unique opportunities for access to working lives that Ruskin students possessed, were also destroyed. Further unwanted material, including collections on the National Register of Archives, had been dispersed to other archives.

Over 7,500 people * (see examples of names below) have signed the petition to halt immediately the destruction and to transfer the remaining records to an institution committed to preserving the recorded experiences of working people. We have had no confirmation from Ruskin management that the remaining historic student records, mainly dating from the 1950s, will be saved. We have had no expression of regret as to the destruction of records relating to so many people’s lives.

In order to save the remaining student archives and to ensure that no further destruction takes place we are lobbying the next meeting of the Ruskin College governing executive on Friday 30 November from 10.30 am outside the Rookery entrance, Ruskin College, the new Headington site, Dunstan Road, 0X3 9BZ.

We will be presenting the petition. We will also be laying a wreath in memory of the achievements of students whose lives have been eradicated from the records. Please come and show your support and, if you can, bring your banner or placard. Please email me onhildakean@hotmail.com if you can come. We will adjourn afterwards for coffee in the White Hart.

Please also write again to the governing executive members (email details attached) alerting them to the advice of the National Archives and asking them to save the remaining archives –and to help salvage Ruskin’s tarnished reputation.

*Signatories include Sarah Waters, Alan Bennett, M Lewycka, Sir Brian Harrison former editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; Dr Nick Mansfield former director of the People’s History Museum; Dr Eve Setch History publisher at Routledge; Professor Alison Light (widow of Raphael Samuel); Professor Jonathan Rose author of The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes; Stewart Maclennan, chair of the Scottish Labour History Society; MPs John McDonnell, Dave Anderson and Jeremy Corbyn; Harry Barnes, former Labour MP and former Ruskin student; John Hendy QC; Professor Geoff Whitty, former director of the Institute of Education; Professor Pat Thane, co-founder of History and Policy; Alice Kessler-Harris former President, Organization of American Historians; Dr Andrew Foster, Chair of the Public History Committee of the Historical Association; Professor Geoff Eley, Chair of the History Department at the University of Michigan; Dr. Serge Noiret, Chair of the International Federation for Public History, Italy; Dorothy Sheridan, former archivist of the Mass Observation archive; Dr. Roger Fieldhouse, joint author of A History of Modern British Adult Education;Keith Bilton on behalf of the Social Work History Network; Bob Price, leader of Oxford City Council; former governors including David Buckle and Brian Cohen; and hundreds and hundreds of former Ruskin students and staff.

RUSKIN GOVERENORS

The Chair of governors is
David Norman, retired trade union officer from CWU

cllrDNorman@southend.gov.uk

Vice chair Carole
Orgell-Rosen Carole is a nominee from the Ruskin Fellowship, the alumni
association. rosen.carole@gmail.com

Other members at July 2012:

Chris Baugh, assistant general secretary Public and Commercial Services
Union

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

IWW John Lewis cleaners win pay rise

Cleaners at contractor ICM working in John Lewis stores in London, who are members of the Industrial Workers of the World revolutionary union, have won a 9% backdated pay rise following them balloting for strike action.

Outsourced John Lewis cleaners have won an immediate and backdated 9% pay rise following their pledge of industrial action. The increase, backdated 5 months, takes their pay to £6.72 per hour at three central London sites, and £6.50 at one outer London site. Supervisors will now get £8.00 per hour and £7.84 respectively.

United in the IWW trade union, the cleaners notified their employer, ICM, last week of the trade dispute and impending ballot for industrial action. This ballot could have seen visible and noisy industrial action by cleaners at four John Lewis sites in London in the run up to Christmas.

John Lewis has seen pre-Christmas profits increase on last year already. The company are proud of their partnership structure, where all staff are ‘partners’ who share in the company’s profits.

But John Lewis’ cleaning contract is outsourced to MML, who outsource it again to ICM. The cleaners have seen their hours reduce and workload increase, while they were paid minimum wage of £6.19 – and they don’t share in the profits.

This increase, including a backdated lump sum just before Christmas, will make a real difference to our members’ lives. ICM further pledged to look at the potential to pay a Living Wage of £8.55 as they enter contract talks early in 2013.

IWW National Secretary Frank Syratt said:

“It is our members’ unity, solidarity and courageous stance that has won this increase. They are an inspiration and a lesson to other workers”

“There is still work to do. John Lewis needs to ensure all their workers – whether partners or outsourced - take home a Living Wage of £8.55 and receive full sick pay, lifting them out of poverty and insecurity. IWW pledges to continue organising and campaigning to make this happen”.

Darren Johnson, Green Party Assembly Member for London has called for the London fire engine contract to be brought back in house as a ‘sensible long term solution’. He was esponding to news that the private company which owned the contract for London’s fire engines has been put into administration. A temporary arrangement for the contract with a new company is in place for the next 18 months.

Darren Johnson said:

The sensible long term solution is to bring the contract in house and scrap the PFI arrangement. Many other fire authorities have a straight forward leasing arrangement. I hope that both the Mayor and the Government will see sense and recognise that the experiment with PFI has failed. We shouldn’t be taking financial risks with something so essential as our fire engines. Government funding guarantees for PFI credits could be better spent on developing an in house contract.

acknowledgements to Martin Francis original posted on http://www.wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/johnson-bring-london-fire-engine.html

Monday, 12 November 2012

MEMBERS OF TRANSPORT UNION RMT will be taking a further 24 hours of strike this Thursday (15th November) on First Devon and Cornwall buses in a continuing dispute over pay.

Relevant members are have been instructed not to book on for duty between 00:01 and 23:59 hours on Thursday 15th November 2012.

The action follows a rock solid strike on the 26th October where even the company admitted that only a tiny fraction of buses ran and comes after a massive rejection of this year's long overdue pay offer.

Industrial action scheduled to take place on 8th November 2012 was suspended to allow for a consultation with members on a revised offer from the company.

The overwhelming consensus from the shop floor was to reject the offer on the grounds that the company are refusing to honour back pay. RMT believes that the company have deliberately dragged out the negotiations in order to dilute the first year of the offer by not including the crucial back pay element.

Support for the first day of action was solid in all depots. RMT members in Plymouth, Dartmouth, Tavistock, Torpoint, Camborne, Eden, Helston, Truro, Falmouth and Penzance formed picket lines and ensured the success of the action, The company (in their own words) ran less than 10 per cent of services, which were run by a handful of Managers.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

"After the magnificent support for the strike action at the end of October we would have hoped that First Devon and Cornwall management would have come forward with and offer aimed at reaching a solution to this dispute over pay justice.

"The refusal to honour back pay deliberately watered down the value of the deal and that penny-pinching has led us back into strike action this week.

"The strength of feeling amongst the staff remains as strong as it ever was and the determination to secure a fair deal is rock solid amongst the bus workers. First Devon and Cornwall must recognise that and get round the table with us to sort out a deal that properly rewards this key group of transport staff without unacceptable strings and conditions."

Further strike action on First Devon and Cornwall buses this Thursday as RMT steps up fight for pay justice.

In solidarity with workers in Greece, Portugal &
Spain who are staging an International General Strike this Wednesday 14th
November, local activists & trade unionists as well as workers from other
European countries who live & work in Bristol, are holding a solidarity
protest near the statue of Neptune at 5pm. All Welcome!

Sunday, 11 November 2012

Tax Justice ePetition by Caroline Lucas MP

October 19, 2011

Caroline Lucas MP has started this e-Petition. 100,000 signatures are needed to get it debated in the House of Commons.

TAX JUSTICE

Responsible department: Her Majesty’s Treasury

We applaud campaigns by trade unions, church groups, and civil society demanding tax justice and join them in calling on the Government to take action to identify those avoiding and evading tax. Firstly, the Chancellor should force all multinational companies filing accounts in the UK to reveal their use of tax havens and publish what profits they earn and what tax they pay in each country in which they operate, without exception. Secondly, banks should be required by law to give details of all accounts they maintain for companies operating in the UK so HMRC and Companies House can chase any companies who pretend to be dormant to evade tax. These two simple changes could help recover billions of pounds of lost tax for the UK by revealing those hiding their income from view.

The blacklisting site - http://www.hrblacklist.com/static/view/about/ - makes no bones about its intentions. HR Blacklist is run by Human Resources Consulting and purports to “tell the truth about employees” – in reality it is an on-line successor to the Consulting Association and its anti-union blacklisting activities.

Numerous RMT activists and other union organisers are listed on the site, including General Secretary Bob Crow and Assistant General Secretary Steve Hedley. Although a search of the names on the data base is free, the detailed files are password protected and only open to subscribers. Names are listed on the site data base without any agreement in clear violation of data protection.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“This HR Blacklist website is openly touted on-line and is an extension of the union blacklisting activities of the Consulting Association. It lists people as union organisers with the obvious intent of thereby denying them future employment and that is a scandal. RMT is taking further advice to protect our members and activists.

“Action should be taken by the authorities to shut this blacklisting site down.

“The whole murky saga of union blacklisting, and the collusion with the police and the security services by the employers organisations, has clear parallels with the Leveson investigations and RMT will continue to campaign with the anti-blacklisting organisations for action against all those involved in this conspiracy.”Acknowledgements to Glen Burrows

People You May Know

On Thursday 18 October, HMRC staff in Coventry took part in a 15 minute walkout to protest the arrival of cabinet minister Francis Maude. Trade union activists are now calling on civil servants across the country to follow their example, with a day of action on 14 November against plans to roll back terms and conditions.

The government has announced plans to undermine the working conditions of civil servants, already facing a pay freeze and pension cuts. The plans include increased working hours, reduced l

eave, reduced sick pay and the prospect of forced moves anywhere in the UK. The PCS union has condemned the plans, whilst rank-and-file members and workers are livid and demanding action.

A member who took part in the Coventry walkout said:

"Today marks the beginning of the fight against vicious attacks on us all as ordinary hard working people.

"To members and activists everywhere: don’t wait any longer, call your 15 minute meetings and one by one start walking out all over the country, drive this Government to the negotiating table on our terms. We can’t always wait for the ballots and the leaflets and politics at the top of the union.

"To the union leaders: take up this fight with no compromises and repay the bravery shown by ordinary members who have taken a risk today on behalf of all of us."

Government departments are due to present their proposals for changes to terms and conditions on 16 November. Two days before, at least four European countries will be taking part in coordinated general strike action. We call on civil servants to join them, and make this day a landmark in our own fight against these vicious attacks.

We urge workers in all government offices, through mass meetings, rank-and-file workplace committees or union branch committees, to support the following action on Wednesday 14 November:

Angry ‘badgers’ to protest against the ‘cull’ of the Agricultural Wages Board
(from http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/angry__badgers__to_protest_aga.aspx acknowledgements to Ged Hickman)
31 October 2012
There are just days to stop the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board in England and Wales (AWB) – the last bulwark against 150,000 people working on the land sliding into poverty, Unite, the country’s largest union, warned today (Wednesday 31 October).
To drive home the gravity of the crisis, a team of irate ‘badgers’ - another countryside community to suffer ill treatment at the hands of the government - will be protesting at a meeting of the AWB board at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in Smith Square, London SW1P 3HA at 9.30am on Friday 2 November.
The ‘badgers’ – protesters in badger masks and a Mr Badger suit – are drawing attention to the fact that the consultation on the future of the AWB in England and Wales, which the government wants to abolish, ends on 12 November – just four weeks after it was announced.
Unite national officer Julia Long said: “The ‘badger’ protest makes a serious point – if the government could stop the cull of the badger population very abruptly – it could easily do the same for the AWB.”
Last week Unite called on David Heath, the minister of state at Defra to extend the consultation on the future of the AWB to at least 12 weeks, so that interested bodies, particularly small organisations, have enough time to formulate their arguments for the retention of the AWB.
Julia Long said: “The government is pushing this through with indecent haste; no doubt, influenced by the vested interests of the big employers that want to drive wages down to poverty levels.
“There is no way that those living in rural communities could engage in a digital only consultation in the four week time span – broadband access is patchy in many parts of the countryside.
“Many will not be aware that the consultation is happening at all, as there has been no attempt to engage with ‘hard to reach’ communities.
“A total of 154,000 workers rely on the AWB to maintain some sort of income on which to bring up their families – the abolition of the AWB will see £140 million a year ‘lifted’ from low-paid workers and be ‘kept’ by the employers, who will also pocket millions more in holiday, overtime and sickness pay that they won’t have to fork out.
“We well know that many rural communities are economically and socially fragile. And as wages collapse, we are deeply concerned that employers will see children and the under-18s on even lower national minimum wage rates as an attractive proposition for the money-obsessed supply chain.
“On Friday members of the AWB board have a real opportunity to stand and be counted to maintain a viable economic framework in England and Wales’ rural areas. They should not be bounced into throwing the countryside into a downward spiral of poverty and hopelessness.”
Unite says that while the Westminster government wants to abolish the AWB in England and Wales, the devolved governments in Scotland and Northern Ireland were keeping their AWBs and there was a commitment by the Welsh government to retain its AWB.
Unite is not against the modernisation of the AWB, but that many rural communities are on a knife edge where low wages are the norm – and to afford some protection against rural poverty was the reason that the AWB, which has it origins in the First World War, came into being in the first place.
ENDS
For further information please contact the Unite press office on 020 3371 2065

Please contact P.Murry at yrrumuk@googlemail.com if you are interested.

GREEN LEFT FRINGE AT AUTUMN CONFERENCE 2012

Both Green Left and the Green Party Trade Union Group applied to have fringes at the Green Party Conference September 7-10 2012, Conferences Committee turned down both these requests. Green Left decided to mount a fringe outside conference at 6-8pm on Saturday 8th September GPTU agreed to support this meeting and contribute towards costs of room hire. Video clips at http://greenleftblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/green-left-fringe-fringe-at-green-party.html